As Indian consumers move towards making healthier choices for food and snacks, start-ups are betting on consumers’ adoption of healthy options.
The e-commerce order volumes of healthy food and snacks have surged by over 60 per cent year-on-year (YoY), according to a recent report by Unicommerce.
Industry experts note that the shift towards healthier choices by consumers is marked by an increase in disposable incomes and awareness by the consumers. According to the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, India’s healthy snacking market is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 20 per cent between 2020 and 2025.
“The demand for healthier snacking alternatives in India has seen a remarkable surge over the past year, fuelled by increasing awareness of clean eating, rising disposable incomes, and a strong post-pandemic focus on wellness,” said Gaurav Manchanda, Founder & Director, Wellbe Foods.
Rise driven by e-commerce and quick commerce
With a surge in demand for snacks, protein bars, and plant-based snacks, start-ups are leveraging instant delivery services, and digital-first strategies to expand their reach.
Nikunj Biyani, Co-founder of SuperYou explains that e-commerce has redefined consumer behaviour, and shares that the brand has observed a 40 per cent of its sales from quick commerce and another 25 per cent from digital platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. “Our presence on Amazon, Flipkart, Zepto, Blinkit, and Instamart has made it easier than ever for people to access SuperYou at the tap of a button,” he said.
A major advantage of quick commerce is access to real-time sales data particularly retention metrics. Sandeep Singh, Co-founder of Blue Tribe Foods, points out that modern trade lacks such detailed insights, whereas quick commerce platforms bridge this gap, enabling better decision-making and revenue growth. Quick commerce already contributes 60 per cent of Blue Tribe’s revenue, while Snackible has witnessed a 500 per cent growth on these platforms in the past year. “Stickiness is very high on these platforms, and purchases are largely impulse-driven, making them ideal for the snacks category,” says Aditya Sanghavi, Founder & CEO of Snackible.
Echoing this trend, WellBe Snacks has observed 14-15 per cent sales come from quick commerce (Zepto and Swiggy Instamart), according to Manchanda, Founder & Director, Wellbe Foods.
Farmley has seen quick commerce platforms contributing 35-38% of its revenues, said Abhishek Agarwal, co-founder, Farmley.
Expansion
To support this growth, Snackible plans to strengthen its presence by expanding its product portfolio, enhancing visibility, and getting listed on newer quick-commerce platforms. Meanwhile, Blue Tribe aims to leverage quick-commerce channels to test new markets.
While WellBe is expanding its portfolio to include wafers, banana chips, air-fried snacks, chikkis, and millet-based options, SuperYou plans to introduce six to eight new flavors and expand into adjacent categories such as biscuits, protein powders, and breakfast cereals.
“We are looking to deepen our penetration in offline retail via general trade. We are already present across 20,000 retail outlets and are looking to grow this number Q-o-Q. Along with this, the expansion of quick commerce in tier 2 and tier 3 cities is expediting our marketing entries here,” said Agarwal, co-founder, Farmley.
Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets
India’s healthy snacking revolution is no longer confined to metropolitan cities, as Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets emerge as major growth drivers. According to data from Unicommerce, e-commerce order volumes for healthy foods and snacks grew by 90% YoY in Tier-3 cities.
Startups in the sector are actively expanding their footprint in these high-growth regions. SuperYou Co-founder Nikunj Biyani attributes the surge in demand to rising fitness awareness and increasing disposable incomes. “To penetrate deeper into these markets, we’re focusing on three key strategies—expanding our retail distribution through regional partnerships, launching localized digital marketing campaigns, and maintaining competitive pricing while ensuring premium quality,” he explains.
Meanwhile, brands like WellBe are witnessing strong traction across smaller cities such as Hubli, Shivamogga, Faridabad, Belagavi, Tumakuru, Vellore, Agra, Guntur, Kanpur, Nasik, Palakkad, Surat, and Vadodara. “Consumers in these cities are actively seeking better-for-you, clean-label snack options, and we’re seeing sustained demand for products that align with these preferences,” Manchanda stated.
